Yes Virginia, the Force is Wide Awake!!!

Well, the long wait is finally over.

What is arguably the most anticipated movie of all time is in the wild.  Record breaking opening weekend figures are not even a question, Jurassic World is definitely going down.  But if you haven't been fortunate enough to secure opening weekend tickets, the real question is...
Is it worth the hype??

Spoil it, I will not.

Some early reviews have declared that The Force Awakens is the "best Star Wars film since 1983!", and the "best Star Wars film in thirty years!"
Well, as Han Solo put it...

Yes, this IS the best Star Wars since 1983...yet it must be said, that bar isn't all that high.  

Of the four Star Wars movies since 1983's The Empire Strikes Back, the only one of note has been The Return of the Jedi.  The three prequels were incredibly disappointing, and i'd bet that a large part of your concern maybe that if this movie was as bad as the last trilogy, it could potentially sour your entire Christmas.

Fear not, true believers.  The magic is back!

If J.J. Abrams main job was to steady the ship of this franchise, and point it in the right direction, he has done so, spectacularly.  This feels like a Star Wars movie, from the opening crawl to the closing credits, it feels like a reunion with your childhood friends.  

The new characters introduced (Finn, Rey, Poe Dameron & Kylo Ren) are entertaining additions to the mythology, but Han Solo owns this movie.  If you thought that Harrison Ford had lost it, or that he just seemed to be cashing a check in Indy 4, he is full on brilliant as Han Solo here. This is no glorified cameo, Han Solo's role is pivotal to the story.

The Force Awakens is fast-moving, full of the swashbuckling action, humor and adventure you remember, most of the old gang is back, there are lots of callbacks to Episodes IV-VI, Abrams resists the temptation to CGI the shit out of everything, John Williams fantastic score maintains the feeling of tension, thrills and excitement throughout, and the movie definitely does not suck.  

I left the Cinema feeling giddy, euphoric.  Hell, I felt like doing the Morris Day dance!!  

Managing Your Expectations

Is TFA groundbreaking?  Nope.

Is a large portion of the plot arguably re-treading fertile ground from the original films?  Maybe.

Are there plot points that make much less sense the more you think about them? Of course.  Yet, while watching the film, I never had a "What shite is this?" moment. (Remember that Phantom Menace midi-chlorians stuff?  None of that crap here.)

This is not the "Best Film of the Franchise", but frankly, it doesn't need to be.  It's a good enough Star Wars movie, that leaves you anxious to see how these characters will develop and questions will be answered in Episodes VIII & IX.  

The Force Awakens is a welcome, and greatly appreciated return to form.  Pleasing the fans, giving them (new) hope and simultaneously exorcising the memory of the prequels may be Abrams' best Christmas gift.  

With strong word of mouth expected, Avatar and Titanic better buckle up, because Star Wars is coming!  Their ally is the Force.

And a very powerful ally it is.